Dispensing container



Jan. 22, 1946. I

J. H. PERCY DISPENSING CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed ,Jan. 1,, 1942 INVENTQR Fig liisa Patented Jan. 22, 1946 UNITED T TES 'PATENT OFFICE Y DISPENSING CQNTAINER Joseph Henry Percy, New York, N. Y., assignor to Colgate-Palmoliv-Peet Company, Jersey City, N. J a corporation of Delaware Application January 1, 1942, SerialNo. 425,285

9 Claims. (c1. 222-455) The present invention relates to containers and, more particularly, to cartons of cardboard, pasteboard and the like adapted for uniform delivery of a measured portion of the content.

Cardboard and paper boxes and cartons have been used for many years for packaging various materials intended for household use. Such containers have been found to be well suited for packaging products in the form of powders,

grains, beads, flakes, chips, short rods, tubes, etc. --10 Cardboard and pasteboard cartons and boxes are employed by packagers of detergents, both soap products and synthetic detergents; food products, including cereals, processed grains, sugar, dried fruits and vegetables, and prepared flours; saltsp baking soda; washing soda; powdered wax and .other materials in comparatively finely divided form. Many of these packages are provided with scored or perforated sections and/or pouring spouts adapted forimproved dispensingof the"- .contents, and many are also provided with-instructions to the consumer as to the amoun't'of the content to be used for various purposes. However, so far as is known, no means has ever been provided in such cartons forregulating or measuring out the amount of the delivery.

It isan object of the present invention to pro- 7 vide a container of novel and improved construction for regulated delivery of the contentsthere- It is also an object of this invention to provide a novel carton adapted-to deliver a substantially uniform quantity of its contents at a single inversion. I I

It is another object of the invention to provide;

a novel carton having means integral therewith for regulating the maximum amount of contents which can be continuously delivered from the carton.

A furtherobject of the'invention is to provide a novel unitary blank soconstructed as to me readily and economically formed into a carton adapted for regulating the delivery of the contents thereof.

scription, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in whichi 1 depicts a plan view of a cartonblank made in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 illustrates/a perspective view of atubular carton during its formation from. this-'carton blank;

plan view of a fori another mod- Other objects and advantages of the present-' invention will be apparent from'the following deification of the novel carton of the present invention;

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a completed carton formed from the blank of Fig. 3, with part broken away for greater clarity;

Fig. 5 represents a longitudinal sectional view of the'cart'on' of Fig. 4 during'the initial inversion of'the carton;

Fig. 6 illustrates a view' similar to Fig.5 during the'return of the'carton to an upright position;

Fig. 7 depicts a similar longitudinal se'ction showing a subsequent inversion of the carton and delivery of a regulatedamount therefrom; and Fig; 8 is a longitudinal section of said carton after its return to an upright position and read for further delivery of its contents. '1

The carton accordingto the present invention is, in its preferred embodiment, of the tubular type and comprises in integral form front and back face sections and side sections, with flaps and-tabs dependent from said sections folded passage non-contiguous to this turn and preferably near the opposite end of thecarton whereby adispensing port is. provided. For even more uniform delivery,- a: plurality of baflle partitions can be provided adjacent one of the side sections, said partitions being coextensive in width with and preferably parallel 'tosaid'side' section and being alternately spaced from theends of the carton to form a single series-connected serpentine delivery passage.

In providing a blank-for the" carton structure,

it is preferred that 'the partition baffles be integral 'with' the walls of the carton and'that they'be separated therefrom and from each other byconnecting strips adapted to be adhesively affixed to the inside of the oarton'walls.

The invention will now be more fully described with respect toparticular'embodiments thereof.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote "similar parts in the respective figures.

Referring to Figs. 1 and '2, wherein a modification of the present invention is depicted, the novel carton blank comprises two large rectangular face sections l and 2, alternatively the front and back of the carton. These sections are connected by an intermediate rectangular section 3 which forms a side of the carton, fold lines 4 and 5 being provided between sections l-3 and 2:3,, respectively. A nectansularsem t 6 s mi a to s ction 3 is connected to race section 2 at the side of the face section opposite section 3, fold line 1 being provided between sections 2 and 6. r

A baiile partition 8 is integrally joined to side section 6 by means of a connecting strip 9, fold lines l0 and l l, respectively, being provided between section 6 and the connecting strip and between the connecting strip and the baflle partition. 'I'he baflle partition is of 'substantially the same Width as the side sections but is shorter in length, being cut out or indented at the bottom end thereof to :any desired extent. The connecting strip 9 is coextensive in lengtnwith side section :6 along told line Ill and :is of desired width, .;said connecting sstrip fleeing adapted for adhesive attachment .to'iace section I. "The amount of material which can he delivered @frcm the carton at a single inversion lg largely determined by the width of the connecting strip, which determines of the delivery mas- :sage, and by the amount of indentation of the partition, which is a controlling factor in determining the amount of contents which can flow from the main body of the carton into the delivery passage. At the'side of partition i8 :oppositelconnecting stripll, there .is a tongue 42, fold line ISAsbeing provided at the juncture of the tongue :with the partition, said tongue is adapted :to'.be adhesively affixed to face sec- Rectangular flaps :21 and 22 are respectively attached torthe top and hottomends of lace section 4,, and rectangular flaps 23 and flare simislarlyyattached to face section '2. Fold lines 25, .26, 211 and? are respectively provided :at the juncture of :these flaps with the respective side sections, Similarly, tab 29, 30, 31 9.111132 are attached {to-the tops and "bottoms'respeetivly, of side sections 3 and 8, respectively, and fold 11395133, 34, 35 and 36 are provided at the'-'le ,spective :iunctures of these tabs with said side 7 of the delivery pas a In forming a carton from this blank, connecting strip 9 is folded inwardly at right angles'to section ;6 along line I 0, and partition 8 is folded inwardly along line H .at right angles to con-" n stin strip 19. Tongue 12 is preferably folded backward along line '13 at right angle to the partition. althou h it may alternatively be folded inwardly. Section. 6 is then folded inwardly alon line '1 at right angles to section '2. One

face of tongue I: thus lies along the back of soothin and the tongue is firmly glued to section '3 alone this face to fix the position-of the partition within thencarton. Side section 3 is then foldedinwardlyat right angles to face secalon llines 25,18, 34 and 36, respectively, to form .a bottom for the carton. The overlapping flaps and tabs are firmly glued together, each upon the surface beneath it, the presence of a form within the carton for permitting sufiicient pressure *to be applied to provide a good seal being desirable. It is also preferred that the glue or other suitableadhesive material be permitted to dry before the carton is filled with the material to be contained therein.

ivith the bottom and sides of the carton firmly sealed and the top open to receive its ultimate content, the main body of the carton i filled. portion of the contents 'ficws into the bottom part pf the delivery passage through the turn at thebottom of the partition 8, the proportion of the content foeing inpart controlled by the area of-the turn and the width of the delivery passage. Iiabs 2 8 :and 31 and fia-ps 2i and 23 are folded down into a horizontal position along their respectl've fold lines in overlapping position. The flaps and 'tabs are adhesively afilxed to each other to sealthe topof the carton, and the scored lines M, 42 and 4.3 are in cooperatin position above the deliuerypassage.

When v it is desired to dispense material from the carton, the top of the carton is punctured along the scored lines to provide a dispensing port. The carton is then inverted, and such portion of its content as is in the delivery passage vie-poured through this port. The remainder, of the content of the carton flows to the top of the main body of the carton and is prevented :from reaching the dispensing port by the partition. Upon returning the carton to its upright position, a further portion of the contents flows -.into :the .delivery passage through the turn at thebottom of the partition, and the carton is ready to deliver a further quantity. In this modification, especially'with finely comminuted materials, there is a tendency for the material in the delivery passage to rise to the level of the material in the main body of the carton. For this reason, although the amount of material delivered at a single rapid inversion is limited and has for a maximum the volume of the delivery passage, the quantity dispensed at successive inversions'may not be exactly uniform but may tend to decrease as the content of the entire carton is diminished with use.

An improved modification of the present invention is illustrated at Figs. 3 to 8. In this modification, a second baffle partition is provided for obtaining greater uniformity in the quantity of materialdispensed at each inversion. A carton blank adapted for forming a tubular oarton and having face and side sections and top and bottom flaps and tabs, as in the modification described supra, is provided. At the side of section 8 opposite face section 2, there is a baffle partition 8 connected to section 6 by a connecting strip 9, fold lines It! and H being provided between section 6 and the connectin I strip and between the connecting strip and partition 8, respectively. At the other side of the partition there is a second connecting strip 12, and a fold line 13 at the juncture therewith of partition 8 is provided. A second partition l4 adapted for adhesive attachment to face section 2.

Each of the two partitions is of substantially the same width as the side sections, and the widths of the connecting strips are as desired, depending upon the required width of the respective arms of the delivery passage to be formed; The first or outer bafile partition 8 is cut out or indented at the bottom thereof to provide a turn 8a between the two arms of the delivery. passage, and the second or 'irmer baffle partition I4 is similarly indented at the top end thereof to form a turn Ma between the delivery passage and the main bodyoof the carton. willbe appreciated from the foregoing that the respective indentations in the two partitions may be of the same or of different size and shape and that the connecting strips 9 and I2 may be of the ,same or different widths to provide arms of the delivery passage in such volume as is desired. At the top of side section 6, a scored line 44 is provided which is adapted for puncture to provide a dispensing port 45.

In forming a carton from this blank, connecting strip 9 is folded at right angles to section 6 along fold line l0, and partition 8 is similarly folded inwardly along line II at right angles to connecting strip 9, ner, connecting strip l2 and partition H are folded backwards at right angles along lines l3 and I5, respectively, a tongue [6 is folded preferably forwardly along line I! at right angles to partition l4, although the tongue may alternaupon connecting strip 9 and tongue l6, thereby forming a tube having two partitions therewithin in fixed position with respect to the Walls of the carton.

In this manner, a carton having a main body 31 and a delivery passage connecting therewith through turn Ma at the top of the carton can be provided. The delivery passage has two arms,

. an inner arm 38, which connects with the main body 31 of the carton directly through the turn Ma at the top thereof, and an outer arm 39, which connects with the inner arm of the delivery passage through the turn 8a at the bottom of the carton. The bottom tabs and flaps are folded horizontally upon each other in overlapping position and glued together as aforesaid, and the main body of the carton is then filled with its ultimate content. The tabs and flaps at the top are then also sealed down, as described supra, and the carton is ready for delivery to the consumer, as shown at Fig. 4.

Referring now to Figs. to 8, which represent longitudinal sectional views of this modification,

Fig. 5 indicates the position of the contents upon the initial tipping or inversion of the carton. A portion of the contents of the main body 3'! flows through turn M'a into the inner'arm 38 of the delivery passage and remains at the top 'portion In similar manof this arm for the short interval of time during which the carton is inverted. 'As the carton is returned toward its upright position (see Fig. 6), the material in the inner arm drops to the bottom of said inner arm and flows through turn 80. into the outer arm 39 of the delivery passage, the remainder of the contents falling back to the bottom of the main body of the carton. Upon the next and subsequent inversions (seeFig. 7), the portion at the bottom of the outer arm of the delivery passage pours through the dispensing port 45 while an additional portion from the main body' of'the carton flows through turn Ma into the inner arm 38 of the delivery passage. Upon returning the carton to its original upright position (see Fig. 8), this portion flows down the inner arm of the delivery passage and partly through the turn 8a. into the outer arm, ready to be dispensed at the next inversion of the carton.

Due to the fact that the inner partition I4 is cut out or indented at its top and that there is, therefore, no connection between the main body of the carton and the delivery passage at the bottom of the carton in this modification, there is no opportunity for the contents to sift into the delivery passage while the carton is in the upright position. For this reason, each inversion of the carton transfers a substantially uniform quantity of material from the main body of the carton into the delivery passage, and the amount of the contents dispensed at each inversion is therefore substantially constant while there is still material in the carton. The amount of the contents dis- "pensed at each inversion can be regulated by providing suitable heights and widths of the turns 8a and Ma in the partitions and by providing any desired width for arms of the delivery passage. Itwill be appreciated from the foregoing that more than two partitions can be provided, if desired, with even greater uniformit of delivery, the indentations of said partitions being alternately at the lower and the upper portions of the carton.

The partitions provided, though preferably parallel to the sides of the cartons, may be oblique thereto and to each other or may even be between adjoining walls, that is, across a corner. The partitions may be inserted, either together or separately, rather than folded from. the same blank as the walls of the carton, and the size and shape of the indentation or cut-off may be varied as desired. Although it is preferred to provide indentations, recesses or cutoffs at the ends of e the partitions, any connections or turns formed by other means for cutting out an aperture in the end portion of the partition are satisfactory.

The carton may be of any type, tubular or nontubular, and may be of wood, metal, plastic or any other material instead of cardboard and pasteboard, and the partitions may be of the same or of diiferent material from the walls of the carton;

Because of the generally regular shapes of the blanks'depict'ed in the drawings, it has been found expedient to show the tabs of the carton of the invention as being square in shape. Although it is desired to employ tabs of substantially the same dependent but may vary as desired, in size and/or shape, intheir other dimension;

While the present specification has described the novel carton with respect to a particular position for holding the same, it will be appreciated that printing and-labels may be so applied to the outer surface thereof that the ultimate consumer will be induced normally to hold the carton in a manner and position other than that in which it will ordinarily have been filled.

Thus, while it is preferred to introduce the contents through the top end of the cartons, as set forth supra, it may alternatively be filled through the bottom and/or intelligence may be printed upon the carton upside down or in any other desired position. Similarly, although the various surfaces of the carton have been designated as faces, sides and ends, such designation refers in general to the customary manner of holding the carton. Likewise, while the construction of the carton from the blank has been described with reference to a particular order of folding operations, those skilled in the art will appreciate from the foregoing that such order is merely illustrative and that any suitable order may be employed.

While it is generally preferred to fix the partitions in place by securing the connecting strips to the walls of the cartons, as well as the tongues to the carton walls, as by adhesive, stapling, stitching or the like, a satisfactory seal for some purposes, especially where the contents is less finely comminuted, can be obtained by attaching only the tongue. Itwill be appreciated from the foregoing that, in either of thesemodifications,

the carton tubes can be assembled and partitions substantially parallel to a carton wall can be put in place by the manufacturer before shipment to the packager in fiat, =knockdown condition with flaps and tabs unsealed. The partitions, though preferably lying parallel to the face and side sectionsin the carton blank and being joined thereto by the connecting strips, may be attached directly to anyof said sections or may be integral with the blank at any other edge thereof. Thus,

the face and side sections of the blank, which are preferably serially joined, as shown in Figs.

1 and 3, may be separated either between sections or vertically across a single section by one or more partitions attached to saidsections either directl or by connecting strips or tongues. Moreover, a face or sidesection of the blank at a vertical edge or vertically across a section may be directly connected to a partition, which in turn is connected to a strip for attaching to another section. Additional partitions and connecting strips may be serially connected to this strip for forming a plurality of delivery passage arms. In this modification, the other end of the blank may preferably be a tongue for attaching to the partition or section. The partitions may also be attached .to tabs or flaps dependent from said sections, or from a bottom section where such is employed.

Although the present invention has been described with respect to particular embodiments and particular constructive features, it will be appreciated that equivalent elements can be used and that variations and modifications of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the container of the invention maybe employed as a holder for an inner carton fitting into the main body of said container and having a dispensing orifice adja cent the turn between the main body and the delivery passage. For example, a container of molded plastic or "metal may be provided with partitions, delivery passage and dispensing port, as aforesaid, and with a tight-fitting cover and may be adapted to contain in its main body portion a ipasteboard or cardboard carton of suitable size andhaving a scored section adapted to beopenedby the ultimate consumer and to be placed-adjacent the turn into the delivery pasing flaps extending from both faces and tabs extending from both sides coextensive in width with saidfaces and said sides respectively, and at least two partitions therewithin extending from one face to the opposite face for'substantially the full'length of saidfaces and adjacent one side,

said partitions and said adjacent side defining a deliverypassage and said partitions being cut out adjacent alternate ends of the container to form ,turns therein, andsaid container being adapted for dispensing material from an arm of saiddelivery passagedefined by said adjacent side and the partition nearest said side. v p

2. As a new article of manufacture, a container having faces, sides and ends, each end comprising substantially rectangular flaps extending from both'ifacesand substantially rectangular tabs extending from both sides coextensive in width with said faces and said sides respectively, and at least two partitions therewithin extending from one face tothe opposite face for substantially the full length of said faces and adjacent one side to form amain body and a delivery passage having at least two arms, said partitions being cut out adjacent alternate ends of the container to form turns therein, and the outer arm of the delivery passage being adapted for dispensin material from said container at av point therein remote fromthe turn in the partition nearest said adjacent side. I V

3. Asa new article of manufacture, a carton havingfaces, sides and ends, each end comprising substantially rectangular flaps extending from both faces and substantially rectangular tabs extending fromboth sides coextensive in width with having faces, sides and ends, each end comprising substantially rectangular flaps extending from both faces and substantially rectangular tabs extending from both sides coextensive in width with said faces and said sides respectively,

' and at least two partitions therewithin extending i from one face to the opposite face for substantiallyv thefull length of said faces and adjacent one side and's'ubstantially parallel thereto to form a. mainbody and'a delivery passage having at least two arms, said partitions being alternately spaced from the ends of the carton to form turns,

and said adjacent side being adapted for forming at each end of each face section and a tab at each end of each side section, said flaps and tabs being coextensive in width with said face sections and said side sections respectively and being in foldable relation to said sections, at least two partitions of length and width respectively substantially equal to the length and width of a side section and cut out adjacent top and bottom ends alternately of said partitions, and connecting strips between said sections and said partitions and between the several partitions whereby a tubular carton with a delivery passage having at least two arms defined by said partitions and a side section can be formed. 7

6. As a new article of manufacture, a unitary carton blank having face and side sections, a substantially rectangular flap at each end of each face section and a substantially rectangular tab at each end of each side section, said flaps and tabs being coextensive in width with said face sections and said side sections, respectively and being in foldable relation to said sections, a first partition of length and width respectively substantially equal to the length and width of a side section and indented at the bottom of said partition, a first connecting strip intermediate said partition and said sections, a second partition of length and width respectively substantially equal to the length and width of a side section and indented at the top of said second partition, and a second connecting strip intermediate the first and second partitions whereby a tubular carton with a delivery passage having two arms defined by said partitions and a side section can be formed.

'7. As a new article of manufacture, a unitary carton blank having face and side sections, a substantially rectangular fiap at each end of each face section and a substantially rectangular tab at each end of each side section, said flaps and tabs being coextensive in width with said face sections and said side sections respectively and being in foldable relation to said sections, a first partition of length and width respectively substantially equal to the length and width of a side section and indented at the bottom of said partition, a first connecting strip intermediate said partition and said sections, a second partition of length and width respectively substantially equal to the length and width of a side section and indented at the top of said second partition, and a second connecting strip intermediate the first and second partitions whereby a tubular carton with a delivery passage having two arms formed by said partitions and a side section is provided, said side section being scored at'the top thereof to provide a puncturable portion in the delivery passage.

8. A dispensing package comprising a rectangular box having side and end walls, and provided near one corner with a discharge opening, and measuring means contained within the box adjacent the corner having said opening, said means including a pair of spaced partition walls secured to one of two opposite side walls of the box and extending between said side walls parallel with the other two side walls and with each other, the partition nearest said opening being imperforate and extending substantially to the end wall of the :box adjoining said measuring means, and the other partition having its edge spaced from said end wall to provide a passageway therebetween.

9. As an article of manufacture, a folded blank box of the tubular type, in fiat or collapsed condition, and having side and edge walls, said collapsed box having housed within it a measuring cell comprising hingedly connected side and end walls, said cell being also in collapsed condition, with its side walls superposed, and means anchoring saidcell to said box walls in such position that said superposed side walls overlie the fold line between one of the side walls of the box and the adjacent edge wall thereof, whereby, when said :box is opened up into tubular form, said cell is also opened up into similar tubular form with the side walls thereof parallel with and spaced from the adjacent edge wall of the box.

JOSEPH HENRY PERCY. 

